With Adaptive Skiing, Disabled People No Longer Left Out In The Cold

March means spring break is just around the corner, and for New Mexico
 it means mild temperatures and fresh snow — perfect conditions for
 visiting area ski resorts.  A growing number of resorts are now offering
 programs that cater to vacationers with disabilities, and resort owners 
say it has proved to be a boost for business.  At a Taos Ski Valley chairlift, 
Barbara and Philip Logan prepare their son, Tilghman, for his first day of
 ski lessons.  The Logans traveled from New York City to Taos, N.M., for
 a winter vacation, and Tilghman can't wait to begin his ski lesson.  
Tilghman  has a severe form of cerebral palsy that limits much 
of his physical movement and some of his eyesight. But that's
 not stopping him and his father from 
experiencing the snow. With some careful planning and specialized 
equipment, the duo hopes to be tearing up the slopes together in no time.  

Ski instructor Craig Stagg takes the group up the lift to demonstrate a 
few sit ski basics. A sit ski is a specially made sled developed for people 
with limited use of their lower limbs, allowing them to slide down a 
mountain much like an able-bodied skier.  The resort must offer adaptive
 ski lessons under the Americans with Disabilities Act because it sits on 
Forest Service land.   Eric Lipp, executive director of the Open Doors 
Organization, an advocacy group helping people with disabilities get 
access to travel and other consumer opportunities, says people with
 disabilities are extremely vocal, and they're a large group with
 significant buying power.   A recent market study 
shows that the disabled community now spends 
more than $13 billion each year on travel. As the general population 
continues to age, Lipp says, that number is only expected to grow

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